3 Time-wasting Habits You Can Eliminate Today

We talk a lot about habit-building, but it’s important to note that not all habits are positive ones.

Ask yourself, are you spending your time in the most productive ways possible - or do you feel like the days fly by with little to show for your time?

Often, we get so caught up in the flow of our own routines, working on autopilot and putting out unexpected fires as they come, that we neglect to take inventory of our own productivity.

In many ways, working on autopilot can be a positive thing, as it means you are in a daily groove and you are able to easily transition between routine tasks without issue. But - with the good comes the not-so-good. If we aren’t conscious of these autopilot bahaviours, we could subconsciously be engaging in time-wasting habits that eat up valuable time in our day. With this in mind, it’s crucial that we periodically audit our daily routines to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible.

Here are 3 of the most common time-wasting habits you can address and eliminate today.

Common time-wasting habit #1: social media

Personally and professionally, social media is one of the biggest time-wasters out there. Ease of access is one of the biggest issues, as the ability to log in from anywhere, and on any device, makes it impossible to escape these massively-popular social platforms.

There is also the “fear of missing out” which many people can attest to, feeling like they are so “connected” with the world when they are online that logging off can trigger feelings of being “left out” or falling behind on the latest news and social updates from not only friends and family, but followers, celebrities, etc.

So the temptation to log in and stay “connected” is very real - and not an easy one to overcome! This is why you hear about people taking social media breaks - because so many of us are hooked on this sense of connection and this social distraction, that we don’t even realize our social media “habit” actually borders on addiction.

So how do you break the habit?

Be accountable for your time. Take a moment to consider how much time you’re spending on social media each day. Based on the most recent stats, the average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes on social platforms each day. Depending on how much time you’re currently spending online, you may want to start by scaling back in terms of time allotments or by isolating certain times of the day for social media engagement, with the goal of avoiding these platforms during other times.

If you find you’re struggling to restrict your time on these platforms at the beginning, there are apps available that will do the work of “blocking out” your access to those social media apps during designated blocks of time set by you. While you’re able to control and adjust the “time blocks” as needed, these apps add an extra barrier between you and access to these platforms, making it more difficult to log on and therefore less tempting to waste time scrolling.

This article from Reviewed.com offers up 9 app options for getting your social media use under control and improving your daily focus. Apps like Freedom use multiple technologies to allow users to block distracting apps, websites, and even pesky unwanted emails. There is also the option to sync your block-out settings across all your devices to keep you distraction-free no matter what system or device you’re using at the time.

Common time-wasting habit #2: general distractions

Social media may be the most dominant form of daily distraction for people, but it’s not the only form of distraction that can cause us to waste a significant chunk of time each day. Friends, family and colleagues are three groups of which most of us are in constant contact each day. And while all of these groups are generally comprised of well-meaning people who we enjoy hearing from, it is important to set some healthy boundaries to ensure these interactions aren’t eating up more of our day than they should. This could mean establishing a “no text” time, where you (tactfully) explain that certain blocks of time require your undivided focus and request that communication be limited during that time. These blocks of time could be working hours when you ask family and friends to refrain from texting unless it’s urgent or weekend hours when you ask colleagues to defer any non-urgent communication to the workweek.

Common time-wasting habit #3: working without a plan

Working without a plan is a major time-wasting habit - and one that can completely throw off your productivity in the day.

Think of it this way: if you were headed on a road trip, with specific destinations along the way - you wouldn’t just hop in the car and go, would you? You’d want a list of destinations, establishing which ones are located where, and a strategy and map with those stoppoints outlined in order. You would have a plan, a blueprint for how to quite literally get from point a to point b, from point b to point c, and so on… This plan wouldn’t take anything away from the excitement of your trip - rather, it allows you to enjoy the process more, because now you have a general guideline in hand to help keep you on track and eliminate any unnecessary unknowns.

Working without a plan leaves you susceptible to time wasted addressing unknown variables that could have been avoided with a set plan ahead of time. Having a schedule for your day, with specific goals outlined and timeframes set allows you to just focus on tackling the day, using this guide to refer and re-focus as needed. Without having to pause and strategize as you go, you’ve now freed up the extra time and mental headspace to just productively flow - without wasting any time unnecessarily between tasks.

The reality is, there will always be distractions around you. From well-meaning friends and family to colleagues, social media alerts and everything in between. The accountability on your time, however, comes down to you. So managing your time and any distractions on your time is up to you!

The good news? If it’s up to you, that means that you’re in control of what happens next. By reading this article and considering any current time-wasting habits in your daily routine, you’re already taking proactive steps toward positive changes. Through awareness and actionable steps, such as setting healthy boundaries and establishing limits on things like social media, you’ll quickly reap the benefits of streamlining your day and minimizing any unnecessary distractions.